


Non-Drinking Buddies

by telliefan (captainamergirl)



Category: The Young and the Restless
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 09:52:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6901090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainamergirl/pseuds/telliefan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The power of true friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Non-Drinking Buddies

He swirled the amber liquid around and around in the tumbler, almost hypnotized by the way the light hit the fluid and made it look bright and cheery, intoxicating him before he ever had even tasted the stuff.   
  
Drinking had only ever caused him pain but he figured no pain could be worse than what he was feeling right now. Lily's cancer was back; Malcolm had accused him of trying to steal his fiancée - again; his work situation was tasking and miserable, and on top of it all, today was the anniversary of Dru's death. It had been four long years since he could hold her, touch her, wake up at night and see her slumbering peacefully right beside him, listen to her soft snoring. Four long years since he could truly share his thoughts, wishes and secret dreams with anyone. Four long years since he had felt anything close to being whole.  
  
He sighed and started to lift the tumbler to his lips. He told himself it was just one glass. No, just one sip. That would be enough. He should call his sponsor but he didn't want to. He wanted to taste the temptation, give into the need to let go and just forget it all.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do that?" An always familiar voice said beside him, just barely managing to penetrate the fortress of his deep, dark thoughts.  
  
He briefly glanced to the left where she was sliding onto a bar stool beside him. He nodded. "Yes, I think I do." He started to put the tumbler to his lips again but she forcefully grabbed the glass out of his hand.  
  
"Hey, what the hell?" Neil snapped.  
  
"You said you thought you wanted to do it. But you weren't sure from where I'm sitting so I'm not letting you do it. Not letting you go down that dark path."  
  
"Victoria, you are not my mother. Nor will you ever be so -"  
  
"I'm trying to help you here, Neil," Victoria said.  
  
"Well you're not," Neil said, almost petulantly. "Today of all days ... I just want to be left alone with my grief."  
  
"If you wanted to be alone you wouldn't have come to The Athletic Club in the middle of the day when it's at its busiest," Victoria said, ever the know-it-all.  
  
"Well Jimmy's was out of the question," Neil said. "Cane still hangs out there and I didn't want him to see me and report back to -"  
  
"Your daughter," Victoria said. "Yes, I get it. And I can't say I blame you with all that she's going through. She doesn't need to worry her dad is falling off the wagon too."  
  
Neil shook his head, watching the full tumbler still clutched in Vicki's hand. The alluring temptation to snatch it from her was still going strong. "Vicki, you are acting like my mother and my therapist and my sponsor all at the same time. Pick one role and stick to it."  
  
"How about your friend?" Victoria asked. "Can I be your friend?"  
  
Neil shrugged. "There's not much else I can offer you right now."  
  
"Ditto," Victoria said. "That's all I can offer you now too but it's something."  
  
Neil nodded, instinctively understanding she was down on her luck too in ways he couldn't know just now. "Are you going to drink that? I paid for it. It shouldn't go to waste."  
  
Victoria shook her head. "No, I'm not drinking it. I came here to get tanked myself but it's not fair if I drink and you sit there watching me do it. Besides, my mom is an alcoholic. I don't need to go down that road and bad things always happen when I'm plastered."  
  
"Yeah, same here," Neil finally acknowledged. "So I guess that makes us what - non-drinking buddies?"  
  
Victoria nodded. And then she smiled. The first real smile he had seen her wear in what seemed like months. Maybe years. She could definitely relate to him in that way. They were the walking dead but maybe this odd friendship they had just reformed after more than ten years of mostly existing in each other's periphery, would help them revive themselves even a bit. Perhaps they would even cease to feel that they were in a constant state of inertia, always standing still and never truly progressing beyond their own pain. At least one day...  
  
She touched his arm. "Yes, non-drinking buddies for sure ..."  
  
FINIS


End file.
